ALMOST one in 20 of all families in a district are living in unsuitable homes, according to a new survey.

And more than 3,500 households are classed as being in housing need, following research carried out by Harrogate Borough Council.

The survey aimed to update information used to determine housing provision in the borough, using a mixture of questionnaires and face-to-face interviews.

And it discovered that almost 3,000 households, or just under five per cent of the total, were living in homes classed as unsuitable, through being too small or of low quality.

The authority estimated that 3,679 households were in housing need and the next five years would see this figure increase by 5,013.

A council spokesman said: "Not all of this housing need will necessarily need to be met through the provision of additional affordable housing.

"Some housing need can be met through repairs or alterations, while some may best be solved by increasing transfer opportunities."

He said the authority estimated that another 5,127 affordable homes would be required by 2005.

The bulk of the identified housing need is in Harrogate, which accounts for 1,702 households, with another 513 in Knaresborough and 367 in Ripon.

The survey also revealed that more than three quarters of households living in unsuitable accommodation were unable to afford to buy or rent a new home at market prices.

A spokesman said: "The results confirm that there are still a significant number of households in Harrogate who are in housing need.